Kaiser Permanente hosted its inaugural Community Safety Convening on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Total Health, bringing together health care professionals, community leaders, and advocates from across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. This forum marked an important step in addressing community violence as a public health concern, emphasizing the power of regional collaboration and innovative approaches to foster safer neighborhoods.
The convening assembled more than 15 leaders from various sectors to speak, focusing on public health, youth engagement, and violence prevention. Discussions addressed the intersections of health and safety, with particular emphasis on preventive strategies, support for youth impacted by violence, and initiatives to strengthen community resilience. Through collaborative panels and interactive discussions, attendees explored effective methods for reducing violence and building community partnerships that prioritize both safety and equity.
Keynote speaker Aswad Thomas, Vice President of the Alliance for Safety and Justice, emphasized the essential role of community partnerships in advancing public safety and justice.
“Every crime survivor deserves access to services, protection, safety, and the opportunity to heal and recover,” said Aswad Thomas, vice president of Alliance for Safety and Justice and national director of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice. “Trauma Recovery Centers (TRCs), for example, deliver transformational care for survivors in the wake of violence. Through them, survivors receive mental health treatment, safe housing and relocation services, legal counsel support, and more. We need public health and elected officials to scale up investments in TRCs and similar community partnerships and programs to truly improve safety and justice for all.”
The event also featured Dr. Andra DiStefano, MD, a Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic anesthesiologist and research scholar focused on firearm safety screening. Additional expert insights came from Myron Jones of MedStar’s Community Violence Intervention Program, Thea Sebastian of The Futures Institute, Kyle Fisher, MD, MPH, of The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention, and Dion Bowen, CEO of Epic Art Universe, a recent recipient of a $75,000 Kaiser Permanente grant supporting youth violence prevention.
The agenda also included an in-depth look at the T.R.I.G.G.E.R Project, a youth-led initiative empowering young individuals who have experienced gun violence to turn their stories into advocacy and leadership. The project’s impact on youth development and community empowerment was a central focus of the forum, serving as a model for how trauma-informed approaches can contribute to long-term safety and resilience.
“Community safety is everyone’s job, from your local state representative to the people who run the community centers in your neighborhood,” said Damion Perkins, program manager of community health at Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States. “This public health issue impacts generations because of the tremendous amount of trauma not being addressed when someone survives a violent interaction. We must mobilize to create an ecosystem response when working on community safety issues especially when it comes to our youth.”
This year’s event underscored the shared responsibility of public, private, and nonprofit sectors in addressing complex safety challenges and highlighted how collective action can promote health and safety equity across communities.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and nonprofit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.5 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, go to about.kp.org.
